The Haunted Mansion
by Falcon88
Summary: Frost Manor is a house long cursed, where restless spirits still roam the halls. When sisters, Elsa and Anna, and Anna's boyfriend Hans, stumble across the mansion, they meet a mysterious young man who owns the house and find a mystery over a hundred years old. Now they must find the answers and reveal the one question that has been posed to them: Do you believe in ghosts?
1. The Haunted Mansion Begins

A/N: Hello everyone. Here is the promised Rise of the Guardians/Frozen crossover story in the style of Haunted Mansion that people voted for. As it turned out that there was a perfect tie between this story and the Winter Reaper, I decided to publish this one first as I ended up writing myself into a difficult spot in the other story and still need to figure out where it's going. For this story, I made a new friend this final semester in my university who adores the Haunted Mansion and talking with her gave me tons of ideas of where to take this story. It will mostly follow closely to the film, however I will also be incorporating some of the originally intended elements from the rides that were never featured in the final attraction, and also some ideas from the actual rides themselves. I also hope to develop more of the lore, especially some elements that were left vague or ignored in the film.  
I hope everyone had (or is still having) a happy Halloween!  
P.S. The song in this chapter is the 'living' version of Grim Grinning Ghosts (the theme song for all the Haunted Mansion attractions), which I created for the party. I envisioned it as a playful, humorous bit of the wealthy patrons singing warnings about thieves and con-artists. it's meant to use the same upbeat melody as the normal version.

The Haunted Mansion  
Chapter 1: The Haunted Mansion Begins

 _October 31, 1867_

It was a windy Halloween evening which found a slightly hunched figure cloaked in dark clothes meandering its way up a foot path towards a large mansion. The weather was stormy and rain was falling, causing the figure to huddle in his cloak. Thunder rumbled far in the distance. Up ahead, the mansion beckoned, warm and inviting. There were lights in nearly every window and the sounds of festivities could already be heard rolling across the grounds from within. The figure stepped onto the porch and was illuminated by the lamp light, squinting against the brightness. He was an elderly man with a large. Along with his dark cloak, he wore a dark gray top coat under the cloak, a top hat, and carried a cylindrical box in his left hand and a cheap, poorly carved cane in his right. The man lifted his cane and rapped it on the large ornate mahogany doors. A few minutes later, one of the doors opened, and the man was assaulted by the sounds of an ongoing party and the brightness from the interior. Regaining his composure, the man saw that there was a very tall, very pale man with a gaunt face standing in the doorway. This man was dressed in a butler's outfit and was currently staring down at him over a large, slightly curved, nose.

"Ah, Master Yale. So good that you could join us." Said the butler, eyeing the man on the porch with cold eyes. "I trust you have the merchandise?"

"I have the _medicine_ right here, as you asked." Said Yale, patting his box.

"Good, good." Said the butler. He pulled out a sizeable bag from his pocket and handed it to Yale. "Here is your payment as promised."  
The older man felt the weight in the bag and gave it a slight shake, hearing the sound of metal clinking together.

"Ah, excellent." Yale pocketed the back, then opened the box, pulling out a vial the size of a salt shaker. Inside the transparent vile was a bright green liquid. The connection seemed innocent enough to the casual observer. Yale handed the butler the vile then raised his top hat in salutation, revealing the top of his head to be bald, through several long white wisps of hair flowed erratically from the sides of his head.

"Pleasure doing business with you." He said. As the butler moved to shut the door, Yale spoke up again, "Aren't you going to invite me into the festivities?" The butler huffed loudly, regarding Yale with obvious annoyance, but stepped aside regardless.

"Very well. Do come in and enjoy the food. And don't frighten the guests. There are over a thousand people present."

Yale stepped into the house and looked around. The house was beautifully decorated, obviously with much though and love. There were grand and expensive works of arts from statues to portraits and vases from all eras. Gorgeous flowers of all varieties decorated tables and the light of hundreds of candles glistened from a series of chandeliers, their light complimented by that from numerous candelabrums placed upon decorative stands. Yale didn't care for the decorations, but he did appreciate the expensive qualities of the furnishings. The guests were mostly gathered in the main ballroom, dancing and singing merrily. It was an odd, cheerful ditty that Yale had never heard before.

"When the conscripts seek and the dance floors break

Dukes come out for a swing n' shake;

Happy aunts now surmise

And begin to vocalize,

Flimflams boast: it's time to aggrandize.

Now don't avert your eyes and don't try to be snide

Or a silly kook may come steal your bride

Clouded by bereft surprise

They pretend to compromise,

Flimflams boast: it's time to aggrandize.

As the moon climbs high o'er the red oak tree

Crooks arrive for the midnight spree;

Creep n' peek with cheery eyes

Start to sneak and improvise,

Flimflams boast: it's time to aggrandize.

When you hear the knell of a brand-new bell

Weird ol' smokes with a pungent smell;

Restless moans harmonize

Rise as crooks rob every dime.

Flimflams boast: it's time to aggrandize.

If you would like to join our jamboree

There's a simple rule that's compulsory:

Chortles are a token fee

Come in peace, the luncheon's free

So come on in, we would like your company!"

A handsome young man in his twenties stood out amidst the guests. He had brown hair and brown eyes which were full of joy and laughter. He was currently chatting with some guests, discussing a portrait of a beautiful blonde young woman with striking blue eyes. The butler noticed where Yale's attention was directed and stated,

"That is young Master Frost, owner of this entire estate."

"And I trust that is the bride to be?" Yale asked, indicating the woman in the painting.

"It is Master Frost's intention to propose tonight to Miss Elisa tonight, yes. That's why this party is being thrown." The butler pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must be somewhere."

The butler made his way to the kitchen and picked up a gold tray and an ornate gold goblet. He grabbed several ingredients and set about to mixing a drink. Placing the goblet on the tray, he left the kitchen, carefully crossing the ballroom until he reached a grand double staircase. Taking one of the flights up, he proceeded through a long corridor before stopping at a large double door. Holding the tray in one hand, he opened one of the doors revealing the mansion's main study. Inside there were several bookshelves in the study, all filled with books, tomes, novels and almanacs. There was a large globe in one corner of the study and in it's rear, a large desk situated next to an elegantly carved fireplace. To one side, there was a smaller table in front of a small chaise longue. A beautiful young woman in a dazzling blue dress sat on the seat, scribbling away on a piece of parchment. She was the same woman from the painting Frost had been examining; Elisa.

"Here is your drink, madam." Said the butler, placing the goblet beside her on the desk

"Thank you." Said the young woman, glancing up at the butler with a kind, warm smile.

"May inquire as to what you are doing?"

"Writing a letter."

"To the young Master?" Elisa nodded.

"Yes. I figured out he's planning to propose to me tonight, but I'm pretending not to know about it. I'm writing down everything ahead of time. But please, don't let him know I found out about his plans."

"As you wish madam." The butler left the room, shutting the door behind him. He went back to his duties, making sure everything was in order with the food and drinks, relaying questions and request to Frost and placing things that had been knocked around by the partying guests back in place. After several long minutes he returned to the study. Opening the door, he noticed that Elisa was no longer at the sofa. He looked around, quickly spotting an arm lying on the ground, peeking out from behind the sofa. The goblet lay on the floor just inches from the person's fingertips. Closing the door, the butler went to the stairs and looked around for the master of the house. Spotting him with his mother, sister and some other guests, the butler quickly descended the stairs and made his way over.

"Master Frost, you are needed upstairs, immediately." Said the butler as he approached.

"I'll be back in a moment." He excused himself from his guests and followed the tall man upstairs.

"What's happened?" Frost asked.

"Something dreadful, I'm afraid." Said the butler. He stopped before the study door, a hand on the door knob and turned to regard the young man. "Brace yourself, young Master, it's terrible." The butler pushed opened the door, revealing the scene within. Frost's eyes widened in pure horror as he saw what lay inside.

" **ELISA!** " Frost rushed into the study and fell to his knees beside the young woman. He hugged her close and realized she didn't have a heartbeat. "How- why…" As Frost began to sob in anguish while holding his deceased beloved, the butler placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I found this next to her." He said, holding out a letter. Frost quickly snatched it away and read it in hopes of finding out why this had happened.

"No!" Frost let out a heartbroken, agonizing scream, crumpling up the letter. " **Nooo!** " He rose to his feet and staggered across the room, before grabbing onto the desk for support. "Aaaargh!" He screamed again knocking everything off the desk.

Downstairs in the grand ballroom, the party had fallen silent upon hearing Frost's screams and many guests now crowded around the foot of the staircase whispering amongst themselves in worry and curiosity. A sudden hush fell over the guests as the sound of footfalls echoed on the stairs. The guests watched in horror as Frost appeared from the darkness, descending the staircase, holding a limp figure in a blue dress in his arms. There was no doubt as to who he had in his arms. Slowly the crowed parted to let him through. Frost made his way over to the foyer and laid Elisa's body on a large couch. After a few minutes, Frost left the foyer and began to walk past the guests. Several tried to speak to him, but he merely replied with, "Leave me, I want to be alone."

"What's happened?" One of the servants, a tall silvery haired man with an Australian accent, asked the butler. Beside him was a shorter woman of mixed native American descent wearing a maid's outfit.

"It would seem that Miss Elisa felt trapped, unable to reciprocate the master's feelings but unwilling to let him down. In a desperate bid for escape, the young lady took her own life with poison." The butler replied solemnly.  
"My God." Said the servant while the maid gasped in shock.

The weather had taken a turn for much worse, becoming a full blown. squall while lightning raged all around the mansion. Unbeknownst to all, Frost has made his way up to the rafters by the roof, a thick length of rope coiled round one arm. His face was blank, his once joyful eyes dead.  
The sound of a wine glass shattering broke through chatter quickly followed by the piercing, bloodcurdling shriek of a woman's scream. Lightning flashed, revealing the body of the young man dangling from a taut rope. People began to panic as they stumbled and scrambled away. The butler, confused as to what was happening—for where he stood offered no vantage point to see the body—quickly moved through the crowd, towards where the first scream had emanated from. Passing through the panicked masses, he came upon the sight that had started the commotion and his face changed from one of confusion to shock than anger.

"Nooo!" Screamed the butler without a trace of anguish in his voice only anger as the guests began to yell, cry and scream as they ran for the doors. In the mad scramble for the exit, somebody knocked over a candelabrum, setting fire to the carpet. The flames quickly traversed up the wallpapers and curtains, spreading to the rafters and ceiling. The screams intensified as even the massive double doors weren't big enough to allow the mass through, resulting in a bottleneck. With the sound of cracking and splintering wood, parts of the flaming rafters collapsed onto the crowd, blocking the exit. The multitude of guests still inside panicked even more.  
The butler moved through the crowd, jostling people as he tried to make his escape. A loud bang resounded above him as a flaming wooden beam broke from the ceiling and collapsed on him.

"The windows!" Someone shouted. "Break the windows!" People grabbed chairs, broke legs off tables, picked up candelabra and whatever they could to throw or bash against the windows. A couple of guests pulled out pistols and attempted to shoot out the glass. One shot ricocheted off one of the steel frames and struck a guest. Another shot ricocheted and struck the chain of a chandelier, sending it crashing to the ground. Another chandelier, aflame and with its chains weaken by the heat, likewise collapsed, sending glass and metal fragments everywhere.

"Move! Out of my way! Out of my way!" Shouted Yale as he shoved people aside. Unbeknownst to him, another chandelier had been heavily weakened nearby. It fell down the length of its chain then swung where it hung.

"Look out!" Someone yelled, but it was too late as the chandelier swung down across the room, catching the old man in the back of the head. His body fell to the ground, his decapitated head landing inside his box.

The few people fortunate enough to escape could only watch in horror and listen to the shrieks of terror and agony coming from those left inside as the entire mansion slowly burned, completely consumed in fires.

* * *

A/N2: I know this chapter ends in a bit of a downer, but I wanted go more in-depth to the event that leads up to the main plot, something that the movie just coasted over. The next chapter will be more cheerful and will come out probably Thursday or Friday. I meant to have more done, but there was an illness and death in my family, so I'm more backed up than intended. I hope to get to my other stories soon, and they will take precedence over this one, which I don't want to rush.  
By the way, for Haunted Mansion fans, you may recognize Yale's name. He was named for Disney Imagineer Yale Gracey (who also had Master Gracey from the film named for him), who worked a lot on the original ride (as well as on Pirates of the Caribbean), designing many of the special effects, visual illusions and characters.


	2. Frost Manor

The Haunted Mansion  
Chapter 2: Frost Manor

College student Elsa Arendelle woke up to the sound of a crash from outside her bedroom. As she opened her eyes and rubbed the sleep pout of them, she saw her younger sister Anna running and sliding around the hallway just outside.

"Oh my gosh! We're late! We're late!" Said the younger red-headed girl. Her clothes had been thrown on haphazardly and she was inadvertently slipping on the smooth floor in her socks.

"For a very important date?" Elsa asked as she got out of bed.

"Ha!" Anna tossed back as she picked up some clothes from a closet in the hallway and threw them into an open suitcase. Elsa yawned as she passed her sister, carefully stepping over the suitcase which had some articles of clothing hanging out over its sides. The reason for all the commotion this morning was due to the fact that the girls were going on a road trip today with Anna's boyfriend, Hans Westergaard. Elsa did not like Hans, she found him vain, greedy, selfish and arrogant—Hans would put on a thinly-veiled façade of kindness and politeness that everyone except the poor lovestruck Anna could see through—but she tolerated him for Anna's sake though she quietly hoped Anna would come to her senses and find someone better. The only reason Elsa was accompanying them was because she wanted to keep her sister safe and because Anna had practically forced Hans to bring Elsa along. However, despite disliking Hans, Elsa had still prepared and packed all her stuff ahead of time for it was part of her neat nature. Anna had of course left everything for the last minute and had overslept to boot.

While Anna rushed about gathering her things, Elsa went into the bathroom to change and fix her hair which, unlike Anna's morning-mane, did not need much work. The older sister than went to the dining room to prepare breakfast for the two, correctly guessing Anna had not yet had time to eat. Fifteen minutes later, as Elsa was finishing up her meal, the horn of a car honked outside a couple of times.

"Oh no! He's here already!" Cried Anna, springing up from where she had been trying to reach behind a couch while kneeling on said couch. "Elsa, get the door! No, I'll get the door! I- we- um-"

"Suitcases, toothbrushes, snacks." Elsa listed off.

"Right! And-"

"Tour books?" Asked Elsa, holding up several pocket-sized books. "Got 'em."

"Toast me, sister!" Elsa did so, stuffing a buttered piece of toast into Anna's mouth, who then promptly rushed to open the door.

"There's orange juice on the table and I laid out a bowl of cereal for you." Elsa called after her "Slow it down or you'll choke when eating."

"Thanks!" Anna yelled back.

Elsa watched from the window as Anna ran out of the house to hug Hans. Hans Westergaard was a tall, handsome man with auburn hair and green eyes. Hans maintained a sweet disposition around Anna, but Elsa wasn't fooled. Behind him was a blue 1986 Suzuki Samurai, a car that with its canvas rear cover down, looked like a cross between a small jeep and an even smaller pickup. The car sat three people, two in the cabin, which currently had its roof cover on, and one in the currently exposed rear/bed. Elsa knew she would be in the third seat, but she was fine as long as the weather was good. If the weather turned sour, she'd make Hans put the rear cover up. Hans came from an incredibly rich family, yet they were wise enough not to give out all their money to Hans and his brother as they grew up, instead waiting for them to mature and prove personal as well as financial responsibility. Thus, while Hans played his emotions close, Elsa suspected he hated the little car. It was a simple car, not flashy, and it certainly wasn't expensive, nor did it even try to fake looking expensive. Perhaps it was Hans' disdain for the car that made Elsa unexpectedly fond of it.

Anna soon ran back into the hose, followed by Hans at a much slower pace, to start packing the girls' things into the car. As Hans entered, he and Elsa exchanged the smallest of nods in acknowledgement of one another. That was usually about the boundary of their civility to each other. Anna grabbed Elsa's suitcase from the upstairs hallway and rushed back outside while Hans brought down Anna's own suitcase. Before he even reached the first floor, Anna blasted past into the house to grab a large box with extra clothes and snacks. She rushed past Hans again, a little too close, causing the man to lose his balance. Fortunately for him, he was on the last few steps. Hans tumbled down the stairs and landed roughly on the ground, getting conked in the head by Anna's suitcase. Elsa couldn't help but start laughing, all but doubling over in mirth. Anna shot her sister a dirty look, so Elsa hid her laughter. Badly. Eventually, everything got packed onto the car and they were ready to go. With difficulty, thanks to the spare tire hanging on the back of the car and the built-in rollbar supports on the sides, Elsa climbed into the rear seat.

They drove straight south from their home in Colorado into New Mexico. They had driven for a few hours, only stopping at the occasional roadside tourist trap at Anna's pleading. The plan was to drive to Houston, Texas where they would overnight. The next day, they'd drive straight across through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and into Florida where they would spend the night in Tallahassee. They'd get up extra early to drive down to Kissimmee. The plan was to spend two weeks in Florida. They would spend a day each in the four Disney parks and water parks, the hit up the two Universal Studios parks and Volcano Bay as well as Sea World and Aquatica. After spending a day shopping, at Anna's behest, they would head to Busch Gardens at Tampa and the following day would head up to spend the day in the historic city of Jacksonville before finally heading home the following morning.

Anna was trying to convince Hans to extend their trip in order to properly visit the states they were just driving through on the way. She argued now was the perfect opportunity since Hans had left college last year, Elsa had graduated a year early due to her intelligence, and Anna herself had just graduated high and had not yet started college, having decided to wait until the 2018 Spring semester.

They arrived in Houston approximately a quarter after seven in the evening. Houston was bustling modern metropolis still showing signs of damage and recovery from Hurricane Harvey two months prior. Elsa was currently reading a mystery novel on her tablet while Anna was on her phone looking up information on the city.

"Aww! We just missed Game 5 of the World Series yesterday!" She said.

"I didn't know you cared for baseball?" Elsa asked, not glancing up.

"Well it is the World Series and held some games were held right here." Said Anna. "Tomorrow's game will be in L.A.; Pity we can't watch it in person. I bet the Astros will pull through and win the World Series!"

"The Astros?" Asked Hans. "Puh! They've never won anything of consequence. My money is on the Dodgers."

They stopped for the night at a hotel and got two rooms, one for Hans and the other for Elsa and Anna to split at Elsa's insistence. The following morning, Elsa was startled awake as Anna suddenly jumped on her bed.

"Boo! Did I scare you?"

"Yes-"

"Happy Halloween!" Said Anna. "It's October 31st today!"

"I almost forgot." Elsa admitted.

After breakfast, the trio got back in the Samurai and headed west. As Hans drove, Elsa busied herself with her novel while Anna played around with finding various locations on the large paper map of the country that Hans had brought along.

"Ooh!" She said suddenly. "Ooh, ooh, ooh!"

"Anna, why are you imitating a monkey?" Asked Hans. Anna ignored him and planted a finger on the map.

"Louisiana!" She said.

"What about it"

"We have to go there!"

"We'll be driving through it." Hans stated, confused. "You know that."

"No. I mean we have to stop there!"

"Why?" Hans and Elsa asked at the same time.

"They grow the hottest peppers in the country there. We **have** to try some!"

"Anna, you know how you get with spicy foods."

"So?"

"Oh my God…" Elsa muttered under her breath.

"See it's right here." Said Anna, pulling the map over so Hans could look at where she was pointing.

"Anna, that's very out of the way." Said Hans, studying the map.

"Uh guys…?" Said Elsa, realizing neither were focused on paying attention to the road.

"We'd lose too much time." Hans continued.

"Guys!" Elsa tried again. There was a truck coming in the opposite direction and they were drifting into its lane!

"I promise, it will totally be worth it!" Said Anna.

"Anna-" Hans began.

"Please!?" Anna begged, cutting him off. The truck was nearly upon them.

"HEY!" Elsa yelled. Hans and Anna looked up.

"Aaaahhh!" All three screamed as Hans grabbed the wheel and yanked it hard. They reentered their lane just in time as the big rig blew by, its horns blaring.

"Oh my god! That was wild!" Anna laughed, exhilarated.

"Please keep your eyes on the road." Elsa warned, hoping that Hans would heed her on this at least.

Anna eventually managed to convince Hans to her idea and with Elsa's help, set about looking through Louisiana's tour book for restaurant information. They finally found one that sounded promising.  
The car pulled into the parking lot a little before noon, and the three looked at the restaurant, a place called _Pa's Ol' Pepper Mill_. By that name, Elsa had been expecting a rustic little eatery. To her surprise, it was rather large and quite busy, and there were pepper gardens all around it.

They entered the restaurant and Anna immediately pulled her sister to the order line while Hans went to find a seat and study the map. Anna ordered pasta, soup, and burgers and two kids' pizza for Hans, who wanted something that he hoped wouldn't be spicy.  
As the girls sat down to wait for their food, they noticed Hans frowning at the map.

"I don't like this. There's no direct way back to the highway, and we'll lose too much time if we backtrack." He said.

"So we go forward." Anna said simply.

"That's not a good option; we'd have to go through the bayou."

"Ooh! The bayou!" Anna said enchantedly.

"It's either that or backtrack." Said Elsa.

"She's right." Anna piped.

The food arrived and they dug in. Elsa started with the soup which had enough pepper in it to make her eyes water. Hans meanwhile took a bite of his pizza and his eyes went wide while his face turned bright red.

"Oh my gosh! Even the kids' pizza is completely spicy!" He cried.

"I know, right!?" Anna gleefully replied.

"You say that like it's a good thing."

"It is!"

"Hurmph!" Hans made a noise like he was choking after taking a spoonful of his soup. He quickly downed his complimentary glass of water before turning to his soda. "My throat is on fire!" He screamed. "My mouth is melting!"

"Oh man up, Hans." Anna said dismissively with a laugh.

After the restaurant, they drove on, heading toward the bayou after all. Hans drove with all the windows cranked down due to the effects the spicy food had had on Anna.  
That was the best meal I've had in a while." Anna belched. Hans stuck his head out the window and blew up into his nose.

"Glad you liked it." He said, holding his breath as he brought his head back into the car. Elsa knew this would happen and was glad she was in the open back of the car.

"You know, we should take an airboat ride while we're here." Anna suggested. "Maybe we'll run over an alligator!"

"Anna! That's not nice!" Said Elsa.

"Oh, no! It's not that bad!" Said Anna. "The airboats have smooth flat bottoms with no rudder or propellers. They steer with a big fan on their backs."

"We don't have time." Hans replied rather grumpily. "We've already wasted enough time as it is in that pepper hellzone."

As they drove, Anna listened to some songs and sang along. Her singing her fine, but her knowledge of the lyrics left much to be desired.  
"Des-pa-cito. I don't know the words, so I say poquito. I don't know the words, so I say dorito. I don't know the words, so I say mosquito." She sang.

"Anna, what the heck?" Elsa asked.

"I got inspired by an inspired t-shirt." Anna replied.

"A what?"

"There's a t-shirt that's inspired by a Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure skit. They sing a bunch of Spanish songs that 'Justin Bieber' doesn't understand."

"Okay…" Elsa shrugged.

They entered the bayou without incident and for the first few hours, Anna marveled at the sights. Soon however, most of the scenery was cover by a thick fog and Anna began to take a nap.  
It was another hour of driving or so when a loud bang reaches their ears, followed almost immediately by two more.

"We're taking fire!" Screamed Anna, startled awake. "Man the anti-aircraft guns!"

"We're not under attack, Anna." Elsa calmed. Hans brought the car to a halt and climbed out. He crouched down and examined the tires.

"The tires are punctured." He announced. "All of them."

"That's okay, I'll just call AAA." Said Anna, whipping out her cellphone. A moment later, she pulled it away from her ear and stared at the screen, frowning.

"What is it?" Elsa asked.

"No signal."

"Great." Said Hans. "It's several miles back to the last station."

"How about we knock at that house?" Elsa and Hans looked to where Anna was pointing. The fog had rolled back just enough to reveal a large old mansion situated at the top of a slight hill overlooking vast, sprawling grounds.

"Where did that come from?" Hans asked.

"It mysteriously teleported in, materializing from nothing." Anna said in a spooky voice causing Hans to roll his eyes.

"Anna..." Said Elsa.

"Just kidding!" Anna laughed. "It's probably been there the whole time and we just didn't notice because of the fog."

The trio walked up to the front gate only to see that there was a chain and lock around the wrought iron bars. Elsa gave a hard tuck on the lock, but it held fast. She turned with a sigh to where the other two were staring up at the house.

"It's a no-go." The words had barely left her mouth when a loud creaked resounded behind her. Elsa whirled around to see the gate swinging open.

"The-the gate…" Elsa stuttered in shock.

"It must be one of those automatic gates." Anna said with a shrug, getting into the car.

"But the chain was locked…"

"Wow, this place is really something." Said Anna marveling at the grounds.

"Creepy is more like it." Said Hans. He and Elsa got back in the car and Hans drove it up the path. It was hard going on all four flats and it took several minutes before they parked in front of the house. Climbing back out, they took the opportunity to get a better look at the mansion and gardens. The house looked centuries old and decrepit. Elsa would have thought it was probably abandoned had it not been for the opening gate. Most of the trees in the grounds were bare and dead. The few trees with leaves were old and worn, as if they hadn't seen rain in a very long time despite the moist fog, and their leaves were brown and shriveled. As the trio walked to the front porch, Elsa stared up at the foreboding mansion.

"Four flat tires, we're in need of a telephone and there's a spooky mansion up ahead." Elsa muttered to herself. "My God, we're in a Scooby-Doo episode."

Hans knocked on the old double doors and Elsa though it was a miracle they didn't fall right off their hinges. The doors were mostly decayed and. Elsa suspected, infested with termites. The doors swung open with a loud creak, almost as loud as the front gate. In the doorway stood a tall pale man gazing down at them. He was well dress and seemed to be sizing them up and had an air of creepiness about him that well-suited the atmosphere and mansion.

"May I help you?" The man asked. Hans opened his mouth to speak but Anna beat him to it.

"Hi, we have four flat tires on our car and we were wondering if you had a telephone we could use?" Anna asked in her usual, cheerful demeanor.

"Come in." Said the creepy butler, stepping aside. "I am Kozmotis Pitchner-Black." As they stepped into a dimly lit corridor, they were quickly met by old wallpaper, antique painting and a small, cobweb-filled chandelier. The man who had answered them shut the door and everything became nearly completely dark. After taking a moment to get used to the new, lesser lighting, they followed the man into a large open foyer. Elsa's jaw dropped. Despite the age of everything, the entire foyer looked quite stunning. There was an enormous chandelier on the ceiling, providing much better light and the floors were made of white marble tiles. The corners of the room each had a pillar with a marble bust on them and planters sporadically lined each of the walls. A massive double staircase at the back of the foyer, leading to a second floor and before them, between the stairs, was a long corridor decorated with large suits of armor on either side.

"Is this your home Mr. Black?" Anna asked as she looked around.

"No." The man brusquely replied. "This house is Frost Manor and it belongs to young Master Frost. He should be around in a minute. Make yourselves at home."

"Thanks Mr. Bl-" Elsa began but stopped as she turned around and saw there was no trace of the tall man. "Where did he go?"

"Cool! A ninja butler!" Said Anna.

"Anna…" Said Elsa.

"So where's that phone?" Hans asked. The trio looked around and Anna stopped at a small table that was up against one of the walls.

"I think this is it." She said pointing to an old, antique phone that Elsa had only seen in history books and museums. Anna picked up the receiver and tried to press a button. She frowned. "It's not working."

"What do you mean?" Asked Elsa.

"I'm pressing the buttons, but nothing is happening! I think it's broken." Elsa walked up next to her sister. She took one glance at the phone and laughed.

"Anna, this isn't a push-dialing phone. It's a rotary dial."

"Then how do we place a call?"

"You put your finger on the number and turn the dial." Elsa explained. Anna put one finger on a number and tried to turn the dial with her free hand, using her shoulder to hold the receiver to her ear.

"No, just use the finger." Said Elsa.

"This is so awkward." Said Anna. She finally got the number through, but soon put the receiver down. "There's no signal in here either."

"Great. Now what?" Asked Elsa.

"We should totally explore this place!" Anna replied.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Said Elsa, looking around. The place, though beautiful, was so old it might be dangerous. Plus, they could embarrassingly get lost.

"Hey, I'm all for exploring this pad." Said Hans, examining a small golden elephant statue that was beside the old phone on the table. "The decorations are quite…exquisite."

"Come on, spoil-sport." Said Anna, pulling her sister after her. She dragged her though a side door into a gigantic dining room. Hans followed behind them. There was a large table in the room that looked like it could easily sit thirty and there were ornate high-back chairs around it. The was a large white table cloth on the table and unlit candelabrums had been placed strategically along the table's length to provide mood an atmosphere during meals. At the far end of the table, hanging on a wall above the head seat, was a large portrait of a handsome young man with brown hair and eyes.

"This whole house is beautiful." Said Elsa.

"Thank you." The trio quickly turned around at the voice. Standing near where they had entered was a young man, bearing a striking resemblance to the one in the portrait behind them. Elsa found him remarkably handsome with piercing blue eyes, like hers, and pure white hair on his head, despite appearing to be around the same age as them.

"Greetings." Said the man. "I am Jackson Frost, owner and proprietor of this estate. Welcome to my home."


	3. Stranded

The Haunted Mansion  
Chapter 3: Stranded

The trio stared in shock at the sudden appearance of this new man. They believed that they had been so enthralled by the house, they hadn't noticed him entering. The man who introduced himself as Jackson Frost stood in front of a softly burning fireplace. He was well dressed in a Victorian-esque black suit with a white cravat.

"Oh! Um, hi. I'm Elsa Arendelle." Elsa spoke up, recovering from the surprise faster than the others. "And this is my sister Anna…"

"Hello." Anna waved.

"And her boyfriend Hans Westergaard." Hans remained quiet, merely nodding.

"Enchanted to meet you all." Said Jack with a friendly smile. "I understand you had an incident?"

"Yes, our car got four flat tires." Said Elsa. "We tried to call for help, but we couldn't get a signal through neither on our cells or even in your house."  
Jack nodded, knowingly.

"It's the location." He said. "It comes and goes. You just have to keep trying."

"In that case, do you mind if I keep trying to make a call?" Anna asked. Jack made a be-my-guest gesture with his hand. Anna bowed and went back into the hallway.

"This is a very beautiful house you have here." Elsa said, looking around the room again.

"Really?" Jack asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "Must people just call it old and dusty."

"No kidding. You should fire the cleaning people." Elsa heard Hans mutter.

"Well, I choose to see it as... antique." Elsa replied, drawing a smile from their host.

"Please have a seat and tell me about your trip." Said Jack, gesturing to the table. "Dinner will be served soon. Why don't you all join me?"

"Oh, we don't want to be any trouble." Said Elsa.

"Hey, if he's offering..." Said Hans.

"It'll be no trouble." Jack assured. "It's been so long since I've had guests over."

"Well... okay then." Jack sat down at the head of the table while Elsa took a seat few places over. Hans took the seat at the opposite end of the table from Jack.

Outside the dining room, Anna took a moment to once more marvel at the décor before walking over to the phone. Taking a hopeful breath, she picked up the receiver and held it to her ear.

"Yes! A dial tone!" She exclaimed. Carefully dialing in a number with rotary dial, she waited eagerly as the line rang. At last someone answered. "Hello! I-" Anna began.

"I'm sorry. We are unable to connect to the number you are trying to call." The answering machine interrupted. Frowning, Anna hung up and tried again.

"I'm sorry. We are unable to connect to the number you are trying to call."

"You can't be serious." Anna muttered as she hung up again. Waiting a few minutes then taking a calming breath, she tried a third time.

"I'm sorry. The number you are attempting to reach is not available. Please hang up and don't call back."

"What the-?" Anna said in confusion, pulling the receiver away from her ear and staring at it in shock and confusion. She was about to give up and go back when a thought occurred to her. Grinning broadly, she dialed in a whole new number and to her immense relive, the call miraculously went through.

Elsa was just finishing up the story of their journey so far when Anna reentered the room. The young redhead was so thrilled with the call she had been able to place that she wasn't paying much attention to where she was going. She hadn't noticed a tall man in a tuxedo had entered pushing a food cart and was currently in her way. Both looked up just moments from colliding.  
"Aaaaah!" Anna screamed in surprise.

"Waaaah!" The man in turn also screamed, startled by her. "Crikey, lass! You scared the bejeebers out of me! I almost had a heart attack."

"Haha! I scared you scaring me." Anna laughed, embarrassed. She sheepishly took a seat next to Elsa who looked at her reproachfully.

"That was a close one." Said Jack.

"Sorry."

"That's quite all right, miss." Said the man. "Just a small fright."

"So, what have you all been talking about?" Anna asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from her near disaster.

"Your sister just finished regaling me with the story of your journey." Said Jack. "It was really quite fascinating."

"And we've been invited to join our courteous host for dinner." Elsa added.

"Dinner?!" Anna asked in shock. At that moment, the man she had nearly collided with place a covered plate of food in front of her and one in front of Elsa.

"Is there a problem?" Elsa asked her sister, suspiciously.

"No!" Anna replied a little too quickly. "Nothing at all." Elsa regarded the nervous look on Anna's face for a moment longer, but chose not to say any more.

"Hmm! This food is absolutely delicious!" Said Anna, taking a bite from her fork.

"Yes, it is quite exquisite." Elsa agreed as she too tried the food.

"It's not bad." Said Hans. In a rare moment, Anna glared at him. Had they been closer, she would have kicked his shin under the table.

"I'm glad you all enjoy." Said Jack. "I shall pay compliments to the cook."

"Indeed." Elsa concurred.

"Mr. Westergaard?" Jack said, turning to Hans. "You've been rather quiet." Elsa had to agree with Jack. Hans was being uncharacteristically silent and that was disturbing her.

"Just… trying to figure out what's up with this place." Hans answered. "Why it doesn't show up on any of the maps of historic locations and how it seemingly just appeared out of the fog."

"Hmm. Yes, this house holds many secrets. Far more than most would ever care to discover." Replied Jack.

"Excuse me, Mr. Frost?" Anna piped in.

"Please, call me Jack."

"Jack…. Is that you in that painting?" She said indicating the portrait they had seen when they first came into the dining room.

"That is the first owner of this house in my family." Jack replied. "Jackson Overland Frost."

"He looks just like you." Elsa commented.

"This estate has been in my family for a hundred and fifty years. Sadly, it has been a history of great tragedy."

"Tragedy?" Elsa asked hesitantly.

"When old Jackson Frost owned this place, there was an… incident, during a party which resulted in the whole house burning down. Jackson and over nine hundred guests perished."

"My God…" Elsa and Anna said together.

"Jackson's younger sister and their mother were among the survivors and thus the house remained in the family. But there have been numerous accidents and deaths over the years, which have resulted in the house being all but abandoned." Jack looked at the girls and sighed. "This house, I am sad to say, is cursed and a danger to all who step foot inside."

"Wow..." Anna said in awe while Hans huffed in disbelief.

"If you believe there is a curse," said Elsa, "why don't you leave? Go someplace safer? And with more people."

"This is my home. It's in my blood. It's a part of who I am. I have nowhere else I can be." Jack replied. "I do not fear the curse, though I am wary of it."

Before they could say anything more, there was a knock on the front door that reverberated through the ground floor of the mansion.  
"Hmm. It would seem we have more company." Said Jack.

"Pizza delivery." Came a man's voice from outside.

"Wha-?"

Faster than the others could even react, Anna bolted from her seat and out the door. In the hallway, she saw Kozmotis had opened the door and was sizing up a soaked young man. Anna saw beyond the front porch that it had started to rain heavily.  
"Yay! The pizza's here!" Cried Anna, running to the door and grabbing the box out of the delivery boy's hands.

"That'll be $22.50." Said the pizza guy, a tall young man wearing a knit cap with wet blond locks of his hair falling down from it over his eyes.

"Handle that Hans." Anna said to Hans, who having heard the sound of rain, had hurried to go out and put the top of his car up. Hans grumbled angrily while Anna placed the box on a nearby table, opened it and inhaled deeply.

"That's the smell of heaven." She said contentedly.

"Please, come in." Jack, suddenly appearing at Kozmotis' shoulder, said to the man. "Warm yourself up by the fireplace in the dining room."

"Thanks." Said the man, walking in. "I'm Kristoff Bjorgman."

"Jackson Frost." Said Jack, shaking Kristoff's hand. "Owner of this estate. "Kristoff whistled, impressed.

"This is an enormous place you have here."

"Quite right." Jack agreed. He led them back into the dining room and Kristoff walked over to the fireplace to stand before it.

"Elsa, this is Kristoff Bjorgman." Jack introduced. "Your sister ordered-"

"Pizza!" Anna squealed in delight, interrupting Jack, a setting the box down on the table.

"Anna!" Elsa scolded. "We have dinner!"

"Yeah, but I didn't know that when I ordered!" Anna protested.

"And the call you place is for pizza?! You were supposed to call for a tow." Elsa continued.

"I tried! It was all that could get through." Anna countered. "But I had an idea. I would ask the pizza deliverer to take a message back into town for us! See? I thought ahead."

"Ugh!" Elsa groaned in annoyance. "You just wanted pizza."

"Sure, but it still works."

"This house doesn't need to be cursed with your wacky ideas, Anna." Said Elsa causing her sister to laugh.

"The storm has swollen the river." Kozmotis, who was now standing at a window, said suddenly.

"How's that?" Kristoff asked.

"The storm has flooded the road."

Jack turned to Elsa and asked,  
"Tell me, Miss Arendelle. Do you believe in ghosts?"

"Ooh! I want to see a real, live ghost!" Anna chimed in before Elsa could answer.

"That's an oxymoron, Anna." Said Elsa.

"Don't be ridiculous." Said Hans, though the comment was aimed at Jack.

"I'm not certain." Elsa admitted, diplomatically. "I suppose it's a possibility."

"There's no such as things as ghosts." Said Kristoff.

"The ghosts are real." Said Jack. "If you're afraid-"

"Whoa! I'm not afraid of anything." Kristoff countered. "I'm just saying, the only thing here is a creepy old mansion."

"Thank you." Said Hans.

"Well I think it's charming." Said Elsa.

"I agree." Said Anna. Then, with a slight shiver added, "If a bit drafty."

"Come off it! You can't possibly think this house is haunted!" Said Kristoff.

"He's right." Hans agreed. "Unless you count termites."

"The ghosts are very real, I'm afraid." Kozmotis gravely chimed in. There wasn't a hint of humor in his voice. As he said this, the food cart man Anna had nearly crashed into nodded in agreement. "And if you stick around long enough, you'll be bound to encounter several."

"Yes, well, with that, if you'll excuse me." Said Kristoff, putting his hat back on. "I must be getting back."

"But what about the storm?" Elsa asked.

"I can handle it." Kristoff replied dismissively.

"You'll be back." Jack predicted. "Just knock and you'll be welcomed in. We have accommodations for everyone."

"Don't bet on it." Kristoff muttered under his breath as he walked out of the dining room.

"And don't forget to call a tow truck for us!" Anna yelled as he left.

"Yeah, yeah!" Kristoff called back, waving a hand nonchalantly.

Kristoff made his way through the rain towards a new, mostly clean, car. Climbing into the driver's seat, he closed the door and buckled up. Turning to the passenger seat where a large brown bloodhound sat, he said "Honestly pal, we always end up with the kooks." Said Kristoff as he drove off. "Haunted houses. Ghosts. Bah! It's all a bunch of malarkey. Everybody know, you only go around once, and you do it all out." As Kristoff drove, the lashing rainfall only seemed to increase, as impossible as it may seem, and he was struggling to see the road ahead despite using his car's high beams.  
"This stupid rain." Kristoff said after a while "I can barely see the road." A moment later, Kristoff slammed on the brakes and the tires kicked up a stream of mud as the car slid to a halt. Through the rain-soaked windshield, Kristoff could see a torrent of water crossing over the road ahead. It'd likely sweep the car away if he attempted to ford it.  
"Son of a gun…" Kristoff muttered. With a heavy sigh, he turned the car back around and said to the dog, "Well old buddy, it looks like we're stuck with the weirdos in the creepy mansion."

Several minutes later, Kristoff pulled back into the mansion grounds, parking a few feet from the disabled Suzuki.  
"Ready Sven?" He asked. The dog looked at him. "Don't stink up too badly, pal. These people might not be as fond of the smell of soggy dog as I am." Kristoff climbed out and held the door open for Sven. Together, the two made their way up to the front door, where Kristoff once more knocked on the massive doors. A moment later, they opened to reveal Kozmotis.  
"So, you have accommodations?" Kristoff asked. Kozmotis wordlessly stepped aside, letting Kristoff and Sven in. Making his way back into the dining room, Kristoff did his best to look dignified and unflappable.

"Ah Kristoff!" Said Jack, looking up with an amused smile. "I knew you would be back. A toast to your safe return." He raised a goblet up high and Elsa and Anna stifled their laughter. Kristoff just grumbled and took a seat one over from Anna with Sven sitting between them.

"Aww! Who's a good doggie?" Anna cooed, petting Sven. The bloodhound panted happily, wagging his tail, which repeatedly smacked Kristoff's arm.

"Don't do that." Said Kristoff. "He doesn't like that." Sven himself proved his master wrong as he continued to play with Anna.

"Ring-a-ding-ding-ding-ding. Ring-a-ding-ding-ding-dong." Kristoff's cellphone suddenly went off causing everyone to stare at him. Jack raised an eyebrow while Anna stifled her laughter again. Hans looked bewildered while Elsa had to keep from rolling her eyes.

"Did you get that ringtone off a GEICO commercial?" Elsa asked. Kristoff shook his head but then admitted,

"Yes I did."  
He pulled out his phone and answered it.

"Hello boss! Can you hear me! I'm stranded in that last delivery! The road's flooded and I can't get back! Hello? Boss? Can you hear me? Can you hear me, boss? Hello!" Kristoff put the phone down and looked at the others. "The line's dead."

"So's this house." Hans muttered.

"I don't even know if I got through." Kristof added.

"Yeah, this place plays havoc with phones." Anna agreed.

"I guess that's one way to put it." Said Jack. "But now the food is getting cold and there's nothing that can be done about the phones. I suggest we all dig in and enjoy our meal."

"And the pizza!" Anna added. "Its aroma alone is pure heaven."

The group finished up their food, along with Kristoff and Sven who both had gotten plates too, and chatted as they awaited desert. Elsa was bothered by what Jack had said earlier and decided to ask, wondering if it had something to do with the curse.  
"Jack, you said over nine hundred people died in that fire?"

"Yes." Jack nodded. "In fact, adding up all the deaths over the years, including many even before the house came into my family, there are exactly nine hundred and ninety-nine haunts in this mansion; and the house is always looking to add one more."

"Creepy!" Anna marveled. Elsa looked troubled. With so much death and tragedy, it was little wonder that the mansion would be cursed.

"That's unbelievable!" Cried Kristoff. "Over nine hundred people died here at one time?!"

"Don't underestimate the size of this house." Said Jack.

"The mud is moving well tonight." Said Kozmotis, back at the window again.

"Now what?" Asked Kristoff.

"What?" Elsa asked at the same time."

Kozmotis turned to look at them, his face devoid of emotions as was usual.  
"It would seem Mr. Bjorgman has discovered a pitfall." As realization sank in, Kristoff leapt to his feet.

"Damn!" He yelled rushing out of the dining room. The others soon followed. Kristoff threw open the front doors and gaped in horror as he saw the rear half of his car had sunk into the ground and it was still going.

"My God." Elsa said in shock while Anna gasped. Kristoff ran out and grabbed on of the front wheels since the front of the car was now in the air as the back sank.

"Someone help me!" He cried. His efforts were to no avail. Try as he might, Kristoff could not fee the car.

"I'd let go if I were you!" Jack called. "Before it drags you down with it." Kristoff finally came to his senses, letting go and falling to his butt in the mud a few feet away. As the group watched, the car sank and sank before abruptly rolling over, ending up with all four wheels in the air, sticking out of the mud.

"Ooh, that's tough. I mean, that is really-" Anna stopped when she noticed Kristoff staring at her incredulously. She cleared her throat, nervously. "Umm, that's unfortunate." Turning to the others, she asked, "I wonder why the mud only pulled down Kristoff's car?"

"He probably parked it over a sinkhole or a subterranean cavern or something." Said Hans.

"Plus, I think his car is heavier, so there's that." Added Elsa.

"A usual, if surprising misfortune, curtesy of the mansion." Said Jack.

"Now we are really stranded." Said Elsa.

"Well, look at the bright side: the pizza's safe." Said Anna, trying to cheer up the mood.

* * *

 **Stupid Silly Girl** : Sorry it took so long. My job was unexpectedly busy this holiday season.

 **sagrika** : Here it is!


End file.
